​Malaysia to adopt a “kill switch” for future events with international acts

The Malaysian government has implemented a new rule following protest actions by The 1975 vocalist Matty Healy that led to the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival in late July.

While performing on stage, the band’s bassist, Ross MacDonald, approached Healy before the two publicly kissed in an act of protest against current laws in the country. Malaysia currently criminalises same-sex sexual activity and bans the gender expression of trans people.

Healy’s on-stage comments about the country’s stance on LGBTQIA+ communities has led the government to seek ways of managing future events when it comes to hosting international artists.

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According to the Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD), all organisers will need to create a “kill switch” as a safety feature, cutting off all power supply if any unwanted on-stage incidents are to occur again in the future.

“These are the guidelines from the incident (The 1975) and we (KKD) hope that with stricter guidelines, we can ensure that performances by foreign artists can adhere to the culture in Malaysia,” mentions Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Along with this, the Royal Malaysian Police will also be assisting in background checks for all foreign artists.

During events featuring international acts, the police force, immigration, Puspal (Central Agency for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes) and other local authorities will also be supervising on-site.

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Though The 1975 incident may have happened quite some time ago, the ripple effects are still very much felt by the Malaysian events industry.

Future Sound Asia (FSA), organisers of Good Vibes Festival, have sued The 1975 for breaking their contract terms and are seeking approximately USD 2.5 million which is still in progress.

Just earlier this month in Dallas, Matty Healy was seen addressing the incident in a 10-minute rant on stage.

Following the festival’s cancellation, Mixmag Asia reached out to events industry and LGBTQIA+ figures for further insight on the situation; read their responses here.

[Via: The Star]

Miki Kitasako is Mixmag Asia’s Social Media and Content Producer, follow her on LinkedIn

This article was originally published on Mixmag Asia